And so it begins: Spurs make first big splash of offseason

The San Antonio Spurs are on the decline. Tim Duncan isn’t getting any younger,  Manu Ginobili is injury-prone, and  Tony Parker was forced to take the reigns and be more aggressive offensively, which tired him considerably as the season dwindled. Their bench was awful and old. Basically, aside from the fact that Duncan has a few good years left, and Ginobili and Parker are still relatively young, their future is clouded without the youth that would bring them prolonged success. So, given their state entering the offseason, General Manager R.C. Buford sought out make a change, one that could steer the franchise into a new direction and turn San Antonio into a title contender once more. The Spurs traded center Francisco Oberto , 34, Kurt Thomas , 36, and Bruce Bowen , 38, for versatile forward Richard Jefferson , who spent last season with the Milwaukee Bucks. Jefferson is a veteran, but, at 29, is certainly an upgrade over Bowen or any other past-their-prime ... (link)